03/11/03

San Francisco Police Department

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICEPRESS RELEASE

March 11, 2003 03-13

Subject: VANDAL OF AIDS MEMORIAL SENTENCED TODAY

A San Francisco man was sentenced today after he was arrested on July 22, 2002 for vandalizing the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park in June of last year. Philip Atkinson, 20, pleaded guilty to a felony count of malicious mischief and no contest to a hate crime.

A week after Officer Jon Cook, a gay SFPD officer, was killed in a police vehicle pursuit crash, Atkinson had spray-painted anti-gay graffiti on the memorial. Concentrated effort on the part of investigators resulted in Atkinson’s arrest several weeks later.

Atkins was sentenced to felony probation for three years. He also has been assigned anger management and sensitivity training instruction. In addition, he has been ordered to do 150 hours of community service, to clean the AIDS Memorial Grove eight times a year, and to write a letter of apology to the custodians of the Grove.